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REPORT OF MRS. deB. RANDOLPH KEIM 



MEMBER OF THE 



Committee on " Continental Hall," 

Daughters of thk American Revolution, 



SUBMITTED TO THE 



Fifth Continental Congress 



National Society, D. A. R., on February 21, 1896. 



To the President General, Officers, and Delegates of the Fifth Con- 
tinental Congress, D. A. R.: 

I have been requested by the chairman of the Continental 
Hall Committee, of which I am a member, and also by the 
President General to prepare for the information of the Con- 
tinental Congress, Daughters of the American Revolutioa, 
now in session, a report showing what has been done by that 
committee during the past year. 

I regret to say that owing to circumstances beyond the con- 
trol of the chairman of the committee, no meeting was 
called. Therefore, so far as the work of the committee is con- 
cerned, the perfection of preliminary arrangements and the re- 
commendation of a line of progressive action remain where 
the}' stood at the time of the meeting of the Fourth Continen- 
tal Congress. 

The first formal meeting of this important committee was 
held upon the call of the chairman in New York City on June 
i8, 1894. There were present at that meeting six out of the 
ten members which then constituted the committee. 

At the request of the members of that committee I took 
plea."! are in preparing a ' ' Retrospect ' ' covering eighteen octavo 
pages prl ited, giving "an official review of the proceedings of 



^'A--* ' 



the Continental Congresses, the National Board of Manage- 
ment, and the previous committee Daughters of the American 
Revolution," respecting the building of a " Continental Hall " 
at Washington, District of Columbia. This paper, dated Oc- 
tober 9, 1894, was addressed to the chairman of the committee. 
A small edition printed for the use of the Chapters under the 
different State Regencies was also delivered to the chairman at 
Chicago. 

The object of this ' ' Retrospect ' ' was to give such information 
as might be necessary to enable the Chapters throughout the 
country to move in intelligent cooperation with our own ef- 
forts as members of the National Society. 

It is my opinion that this " Retrospect " should be dis- 
tributed, if it has not already been so applied, to the different 
Chapters, or that a new edition (revised and brought down to 
date with other applicable information leading to more active 
work) should be printed. At least ten to fifty copies of this 
document should be mailed to each State and Chapter Regent, 
so that the entire membership of the Societ\' shall know what 
has been done. 

I am informed upon inquiry from official sources that there 
is now in hand a building fund of nearly $7,000, which has 
accumulated through careful management of the Society's rev- 
enues. The credit to this fund of surplus of revenue over ex- 
penditures I have no doubt could be largely increased if the 
national management had before it some practicable and ac- 
cepted project leading up to the consummation of our hopes of 
having in the near future a Memorial or Continental Hall 
owned, equipped, and managed exclusively by the national 
organization known as the Daughters of the American Revo- 
lution — the great patriotic organization of women which we 
represent in this Continental Congress here assembled. 

I do not advocate impatient or undue haste, but still some- 
thing should be done to keep the movement awake and active. 
We will be beset bj' every sort of annoj-ance, particular!}' by 
superserviceable persons with plans innumerable and choice 
lots without end, all of course to be offered in a deep spirit of 






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patriotism over the past and sacrifice in the interest of the 
Society in the future. We shall want a committee which will 
not be carried away by plausible men or women, but which 
will weigh everything and act deliberately and together. 

The scheme proposed is a vast undertaking and should be 
so considered by every member of the Societ}'. It is not sen- 
timental nor eutopian in its scope in the hands of a small, care- 
fully selected committee adapted to the work. A large com- 
mittee for purposes of active work is always cumbersome and 
invariably impedes by a diversitj' of counsel or often conflict 
of interests general or personal. It is also impracticable to get 
together a large committee, the members of which may be 
scattered from Maine to Texas and Washington to Florida. 
This in itself might prostrate the work of those in position 
to carry the movement on to a prospective consummation and 
another year will have passed away with no better prospects of 
a Continental Hall than are presented to-day. 

It seems to be agreed on all sides that such an institution 
would be a great benefit to the Society. The membership of 
nearly 13,000 to-day may be 20,000 in another year. A Memo- 
rial Hall such as is proposed would be a bond of cohesion, 
union, and strength. 

The first committee on this subject of " A Home " was pro- 
posed on October 24, 1891, approaching five years ago, by Mrs. 
Ellen Hardin Walworth, of New York. At the meeting of 
the National Board, December 14, 1891, these resolutions were 
unanimously adopted. 

At the same time the suggestion of Mrs. Marshall Mc- 
Donald was adopted, which proposed as a supplementary 
resolve tliat "the Treasurer General open an account by 
which all life membership fees in the National Society and 
payment for Chapter charters or certificates should be appro- 
priated to creating a Permanent Fund for the erection of a fire- 
proof building for the preservation of the records of the 
Society. " 

This was the official beginning of the movement and the 
inauguration of the Building Fund. 



As I have mentioned, the fund has been growing, but the 
building is not 5'et in sight, even on paper. 

In order to propose something tangible I reproduce one of 
the ofiginal resolutions, unanimously adopted December 14, 
1 89 1, and several additional ones which I propose in order to 
prepare the way for some action being taken by this Congress, 
trusting that another year will produce some evident results. 

1. Resolved, That the establishment of this National Society of the 
Daughters of the American Revolution on a permanent basis would be 
advanced or secured by the founding of a " home " for the Society which 
shall also answer the purposes of a Memorial Hall. [Res., Octobei; 21 ; 
December 14, 1 89 1.] 

2. JiesoheJ, In furtherance of the above resolution, that a committee 
of seven, comprised as follows: One chairman, a member of the Society, 
to be appointed at large ; one member to represent the Chapters of this 
Society in the New England States ; one member to represent the Chapters 
in the Middle States ; one member to represent tlie Chapters in the South- 
ern Slates ; one member to represent the Chapters in the States east of 
the Mississippi River ; one member to represent the Chapters in the States 
west of the Mississippi River ; one member to represent the Chapters in 
the States of tlie Pacific Coast ; be appointed by the President General in 
consultation with the Chairman of the said Committee on Continental 
Hall. 

3. Kesoivfi/, That the chairman of the said Committee on Continental 
Hall shall be named as soon as practicable after the adjournment of this 
Congress \>y the President General and confirmed by the National Board 
of Maxiagenient, Daughters of the American Revolution. 

4. Resolved, That any number of members of said Committee on Con- 
tinental Hall present at any meeting regularly and publici}' called, each 
member having been notified of the date in writing at least ten days in 
advance of such meeting, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction 
of all business. 

5. Resolved, That the place of regular meet ng of said committee, upon 
call of the chairman as above provided, shall be at the city of Washing- 
ton, in the District of Columbia; provided, however, that for the facilita- 
tion of special business connected with the work of the committee, the 
Chairman may appoint such convenient locality in the same manner as 
for regular meetings. 

6. Resolved, That the chairman of said committee be instructed to re- 
port in writing to the National Board of Management, Daughters of the 
American Revolution, from time to time showing the progress of the 
work. 



7- Resolved, That the written approval, properly certified by the State 
Regent aud Chapter officers of three-fourths of the States and Territories 
of the United States, to the Chairman of said Committee on Con- 
tinental Hall, and by her submitted to the National Board of Manage- 
ment, to be ratified by them, of three-fourths of the officially recorded 
Chapters in each of the States aud Territories of the United States of 
America, of any plan or project in the line of these resolutions, submitted 
to them for action, shall be regarded as expressive of the will of this 
Society. 

S. KesoheJ, That the name of the committee herein provided shall be 
" The Committee on Continental Hall of the Daughters of the American 
Revolution." 

9. Resolved, That only Chapters officially recorded and acknowledged 
by the National Board of Management of the Daughters of tlic American 
Revolution shall have recognition under the provisions of the seventli reso- 
lution herewith. 

10. Resolved, That the chairman of the said committee be hereby em- 
powered, subject to the regulations governing tlie National Board of Man- 
agement, Daughters of tlie American Revolution, in such cases, to have 
done such printing as may be necessary in furthering the objects of the 
committee, und also shall have furnished such stationary aud postage as 
may be necessary in the prosecution of the work in view, the same to be 
reported to the National Board of Management for their approval, and no 
bills for printing, stationary, or postage for the use of the said com mittee 
shall be approved by the National Board unless they have the written ap- 
proval of the chairman of the said committee. 

It will be observed by this outline in the form of resolutions 
that the project is taken up from its inception. Each section 
of the country is represented on the committee, which is pro- 
posed for business only. As a preliminary move, the chairman 
of the committee will be untampered by details which come 
later in the movement ; the usual and fatal embarrassments of 
non-attendance in committee work is avoided by fixing the 
quorum. I would have it so that whatever number be present 
after public and written individual notification that shall be 
sufficient for the transaction of business, as all acts ulti- 
mately pass under the eye of the National Board of Manage- 
ment before effective. The meeting in Washington, the head- 
quarters of the National Society, will keep the committee and 
the National Board in touch with each other, and the chairman, 



6 

who should be considered ex-officio a member of the National 
Board, would have an opportunity to confer at the regular 
meetings of the Board. 

The official sanction of three-fourths of the State Regents 
and Chapters in each State and Territory and of three-fourths 
of the States and Territories on the rolls of the Society would 
make a very comprehensive concensus of opinion and authority 
of the Society on such a momentous and responsible under- 
taking. 

I submit, in a separate paper but as part of this report, as a 
means of bringing before you a realization of what we contem- 
plate, a sketch plan of a Memorial Continental Hall or Temple 
of Patriotism which conforms in its general features to the 
views expressed to me by our late President General, Mrs. 
Harrison. 

I shall not incorporate here an explanation of the plan, but 
shall undertake to do so verbally. 

Respectfully and cordially submitted to the Fifth Continental 
Congress Daughters of the American Revolution. 

Mrs. deB. Randolph Keim, 
First Vice President General, D. A. R., 
Member Committee on ContincJital Hall. 



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